Arrangements are in top gear by the governments of Oyo and Osun States, family and friends to ensure that the burial of late statesman, Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo records resounding success.
PMParrot, our sister publication exclusively gathered that both the governors of Oyo and Osun States, Engineer ‘Seyi Makinde and Senator Ademola Adeleke respectively, have agreed to work together with other interested Governors in Nigeria including the Federal Government to give a befitting burial to the late mathematician.
It is no longer news that both Governors Adeleke and Makinde had at different times visited the Molete, Ibadan home of the late scholar to commiserate with the family he left behind.
During their visits, they emphatically told the widow, Chief (Mrs) Aderonke Olunloyo that both Oyo and Osun governments would work together with the family on the project of the burial of VOSO who was governor of the two states from 1st October 1983 to 31st December 1983.
PMParrot also gathered that all things being equal, the burial activities will run between June 24th and 26th, 2025.
On Tuesday, June 24th, a Nite of Tribute will be held at the sprawling Molete, Ibadan home of the late politician and on Wednesday, June 25th, the Christian Wake will hold at the prestigious Jogor Center owned by an old boy of Government College Ibadan, Engineer Femi Babalola. Late Olunloyo is also a very proud old boy of the great institution. The musician of this day is Wolex and his band.
According to a close family source, “on Thursday, June 26th, the mother of all burials will be held for VOSO. It will be at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, former Liberty Stadium. It will be interdenominational in nature. After the funeral service, our father will be interred at the family’s vault at St David’s Cathedral, Kudeti, Ibadan. I guess this will be a private affair”, said the family source.
A formal reception will take place at the famous International Conference Center within the University of Ibadan. Chief Commander, Ebenezer Obey and his band have already been commissioned to entertain guests expected from within and outside the country.
Another family source also hinted that popular female juju musician, Ayo Balogun will also be on duty at the event.
When contacted for confirmation of these arrangements, one of the children of the deceased, Sir Gbenga Olunloyo (Kapoor) responded saying “chill bro, eni ti a n gbe iyawo bo wa ba kii garun. All I can say is that VOSO will get the very best because he was the best. He deserves it.”
Olunloyo had been rumoured dead twice before his actual demise. In April 2024, the rumour of the death of the elder statesman was reported by some media platforms.
His father died at 42, while his mother died at 102. He also departed this world some few days to his 90th birthday.
Olunloyo was a Nigerian mathematician and politician who served briefly as the governor of Oyo State from 1 October 1983 to 31 December 1983, when the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari took power. He later became a strong political force in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State and Nigeria.
Born in Ibadan on 14 April 1935, his father, Horatio Olunloyo was Christian and his mother Alhaja Bintu Tejumola Abebi Olunloyo who died October 2013 at 102-year-old was Muslim. His father died in December 1948 when Victor Olunloyo was 13 years old.
Olunloyo gained a Ph.D. from St. Andrews University in 1961. His thesis was on the Numerical Determination of the Solutions of Eigenvalue Problems of the Sturm–Liouville Type. He published several other papers on number theory and applied mathematics.
Olunloyo was appointed Commissioner for Economic Development for the Western Region in 1962 at the age of 27. He was re-appointed when Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo was appointed military governor of Western. He also held other political appointments in successive governments
He ran for governor of the old Oyo State on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1983 and defeated the incumbent, Bola Ige of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
He assumed office in October 1983. His term ended three months later when the then, General Muhammadu Buhari took power and dismissed the elected government on December 31, 1983.
Until his demise, Dr Omololu Olunloyo remained a mobile ‘library’ that was consulted by all when governance and issues become hopelessly knotty. He also ran a private library that intellectuals and others thronged.
Packaged by Alice Egbedele and Dare Raji
